Ore-car



A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1920.

1,399,746. Patented LL60 1L3, 1L92L.

5 SHEETSSHEET I.

I nae/1121 fla gyle @gaell A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1920. 1,399,746., Patented] Dec M, W21,

ame

A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, I920. 1,399,74w Patented M0013, 19211..

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

000 ooo'oo 54 z! zzga A, CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLlCATlON HLED]UNE4,19Z0- 1,9,'746w Patented Dec. 13,, 11921.,

5 SHEETSSHEET 4- A. CAMPBELL.

ORE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1920.

Patented Dem 13 1921.,

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

into ore-carrying steamers.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ban-can.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 192i.

Application filed June 4, 1920 Serial No. 386,543.

the following is a full, clear, concise and.

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this; specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ore cars.

One object of the invention is to provide an ore car of not greater than the standard over-all dimensions having a greater load- ,carrying capacity than present types of ore cars of similar over-all dimensions.

Other objects of the invention are to pro- -vide an ore car having a large single discharge opening; having the hopper sids and ends so arranged as to render the car selfclearing; to provide an ore car having un, usual strength to resist bufling and pulling shocks; and to provide an ore car having greater capacity than any heretofore having similar over-all length and width dimenslons.

One specific object of the invention is to provide an ore car adapted for the usual orecarrying traffic and wherein is provided a single hopper with the side and end walls of the hopper so sloping and conformed as to eliminate any crowding of the ore as it is being unloaded, or abrupt restriction of the passage for the ore as it moves toward the discharge opening.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, so-called ore cars are chiefly employed in the transporting of ore to large docks where the ore is discharged into bins spaced twenty-four feet apart from center to center, the bins in turn being arranged to discharge In this class of trafiic, it is essential that all ore cars composing the trains be of standard length which has been made twenty-four feet from coupler center to coupler center or substantially twenty-two feet over-all from striking plate to striking'plate. The standard Width of such ore cars over-all, is eight feet eleven inches or nine cot and the car which I have invented and which is disclosed herein conforms to said standard over-all and width dimensions. In the said orecarrying trade, itis the general practice to provide ore bins of substantially three hundred tons capacity and in order to facilitate records and calculate the percentages of different ores or classes of ores dumped into the bins, it has been the general practice to make the ore cars of fifty tons normal capacity and sixty tons capacity when heaped or overloaded to the limit 30 that an even multiple of car loads, six or five, is required in filling a single bin. By carrying out my improvements and still remaining within the standardized over-all dimensions now employed, I have increased the capacity of the car without any appreciable extra metal or weight or cost of manufacture to a normal capacity of seventy tons and an easily obtainable heaped or overloaded capacity of seventy-five tons. With this arrangement, it is evident that four car loads where my improved cars are employed-are only required as against the five or six car loads heretofore with consequent decrease in transportation charges and greater speed in'transportinga given quantity of ore.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ore car embodying my improvements the over-all length of which, from striking of the improved ore car and on a scale corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. '5 is a transverse partial sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 5--5 of Fig, 1, the section being on a scale corresponding to Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view upon the same scale as Figs. 2, 4, -5 and 6 and taken on the line 7-7 of Fig.1. In Fig.

7, one of the hopper doors is shown by dotted lines in its open position.

In carrying out my invention, I leave the single discharge opening entirely unobstructed and, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is necessary to omit any center sills at this part of the car in order to obtain such a clear opening. To compensate for the omission of the usual center sills of the car underframe, I have provided a novel type of underframe and load-carrying structure as follows. The structure at each end of the car is the same so that a detailed description of one end will sutlice.

At each end of the car, I provide a heavy casting designated by the reference A, said casting having a relatively short bolster formed integrally therewith. Said bolster includes a body bolster center plate 10 and laterally extended arms 11-11, said arms being strengthened on the top thereof by flanges 12-12. Also formed integrally with the casting A are draft sills 13-13 extended outwardly from the center plate 10, said draft sills being preferably provided with suitable stop shoulders for any standard draft rigging. A cover plate 14: is applied to the top' of the casting A, said plate extending from the bufling or striking plate or casting 15 to a point. inwardly of the king pin opening in the center plate 10, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The striking casting 15 is also preferably formed integrally with the casting A. As appears from an inspection of Fig. 3, the laterally extended arms 11 of the casting A termi nate approximately midway between the longitudinal center of the car and a plane coincident with the extreme outer side of the car and the end of each of said arms 11 is formed with a diagonally extending wide flange 16. In lieu of the usual center sills, I provide what may be termed side sills, the same being shown as. of channel formation at 17. Each of said side sills 17 is riveted at its end to an integral flange section 18 of the combined bolster or casting A and striking plate 15. From its end at 18, the side sill extends diagonally across the flange 16 of the corresponding arm 11 of the casting A and to which it is riveted and thence to a point indicated at 19 at the outside of the car and from the point 19 the side sill extends longitudinally or parallel to the center line of the car when it is bent inwardly at the opposite end of the car. What may be termed auxiliary side or longitudinal sills are employed, one on each side of the car, the same being indicated at 20. As shown, each sill or strength member 20 is of angle form (see Fig. 5), the ends thereof being attached to the arms 11. of the casting A and paralleling the corresponding portions of the outer or main sills 17, as shown in Fig. 3. Suitable gussets 121-122 are employed to strengthen the connections between the various parts at the end of the car.

With the underframe construction just described, it is evident that buffing shocks and draft shocks will be distributed diagonally to the sides of the car and taken up in large part by the sills 17 and 20.

In this construction, the casting A. in so far as the bolster proper thereof is concerned, acts as a strut between the diagonally extending portions of the sills 17 and 20 with consequent increase in strength for the car underframe as compared with the usual arrangement of bolster where the butting and pulling. shocks are transmitted thereto merely at the center in line with the draft rigging or at points at the ends of a bolster of the full width of the car. The other parts of the: car framing. including the body bolsters. which are utilized to carry the shocks will be described hereinafter.

The single hopper employed in carrying out. my invention is of peculiar construction and designed to obtain the maximum capacity combined with the feature of quick selfclearing of the ore. As shown, the hopper is defined by two side hopper walls B-B and two end hopper walls C-C.

Each side wall B has the upper portion thereof extending in a vertical plane and each defines the upper portion of the side wall of the car itself. Said vertical section of each side wall B is designated by the reference 21 and has an upper horizontally extending edge 22. a lower parallel horizontally extending edge 23 and symmetrically arranged diagonally extending edges 24-24; as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, so that said vertical portions of the side walls are deeper between the trucks than over the trucks. Below the lines indicated at 23 and 24. each hopper side wall B is sloped or inclined inwardly toward the center of the car at an angle of approximately 64 to the horizontal, the central section of said inclined portion being indicated at 25 and the triangular end-shaped sections thereof being indicated at 26. The lower edges of the inclined sections 25 and 26 are indicated by the references 27 and 28 respectively. The side walls are braced by top longitudinally extending bulb angles 29 and built-up side stakes or posts 30-80. Below the line 27. indicated in Fig. 2. the side hopper wall is extended vertically for a short distance as indicated at 31 where it is secured to the sill 20.

Each end hopper wall C of the car slopes in a general downward direction toward the middle of the car, as shown in Fig. 2. At its top edge indicated at 32, each end wall C is substantially perfectly fiat and of the full or maximum width of the car. The same is suitably braced by an angle iron 33. the side and end walls of the hopper being strengthened by gussets 34. Each end hopper wall C, from its upper edge 32, is provided with acentrally disposed gradually deepening valley or depression, the lowermost line defining this valley being indicated by the reference 35 and in fact correspondin to the section of the end hopper assume wall Gv as shown in Fig. 2. By introducing the said valley in the end hopper wall G, I am enabled to materially increase the capacity since the lowermost part of the valley as indicated by the line 35 may be dropped down, as it is between the wheels and side frames of the truck and there is ample clearance therefore to accommodate the swiveling movements of the trucks. The side-edge portions of the end hopper walls C indicated at 36 (see Figs. 5 and 6) are bent to an angle corresponding with the sloping sections 25 and 26 of the side hopper walls B and united thereto by rivets that are preferably countersunk on the inside of the hopper. The inclined or sloping portions 36 of the hopper end walls are merged with the main portions thereof by curved bends as indicated at 37.

With the construction described, it will be observed, that in plan view, the hopper end walls C become gradually narrowed toward their lower ends on account ofthe mergin of the side portions of the end walls wit the side walls B as the positions of the latter change from vertical to inclined. With this construction, not only is the proper. slope of the end walls and side walls of the hopper maintained from top to bottom but the gradual contraction or tapering of the hopper as an entirety from top to bottom is effected without reducing any shoulders or projections or a ruptly restricted passage such as have heretofore been common in cars of the ore type. By employing the arrangement shown and described, the discharge of the ore is effected rapidly and without danger of the load becoming brid ed or rigid while the car is being emptie Furthermore, by maintaining the reater part of the side Walls B vert1cally,% avoid cutting out any unnecessary amount of load-carrying capacity while obtaining the necessary structure to apply the hopper doors and maintain them within the over-all width of the car. It will also be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1, that another feature which enables me to obtain the maximum capacity mentioned, resides in the fact that the top edges of the upper ends of the hopper are extended substantially over the axles of the end sets of wheels or, in other words, to points where there is left merely sufficient space to accommodate the hand brake within vertical planes corresponding to the extreme end faces of the striking plates.

Each hopper end wall C is suitably braced at its lower edge by an angle 38 and intermediate itstop and bottom edges by a transversely extending angle 39. Other strengthening angles 4040 are employed extending lengthwise of the hopper end wall C as clearly shown in the drawings. :In the case of all of the angles 38, 39 and 40, the flanges,

thereof which are secured to the sheets defining the end walls (3 are preferably united by spot welding so as to avoid any possible interference with the easy passage of the load down the walls (1..

With the arrangement of side andend hopper walls. described, I obtain a single ach toward the center line of the car as ind1- cated in Fig. 7 which is to conform to the contour of the lower edges 42 of the end yvalls (1'. Each door l) is braced on its under side by channel shaped pressings 43 and by a longitudinally extending channel shaped bar 44, the ends of the latter as indicated at 45 in Figs. 1 and 2 projecting beyond the ends of the door in order to provide means of attachment for the operating mechanism hereinafter described. The bars 44 are so placed that they will engage the rails 46 when the doors are opened, as indicated in Fig. 7 and thereby insure the discharge of all of the material to points within the rails and into the bins. Bame plates 47'-47 shown in Figs. 1 and 7, are employed at the ends of the doors D so as to prevent the escape of any material to points outside of the rail which might otherwise occur adjacent the hinge connections of the doors with the side walls of the hoppers.

The mechanism for operatin the doors D is preferably constructed as ollows. At one end of the car above the under-frame structure and beneath the corresponding hopper end wall C, a transversely extending shaft 48 is employed, the same extending from side to side of the car so that it may be operated from either end. This shaft carries ratchet wheels 49-49 at both ends and adapted to cooperate therewith are looking dogs 50-50 rigidly mounted on a common transversely extending shaft 51. Cooperable with the dogs 50'are cams 5252 rigidlymounted on the ends of a common transversely extending shaft 53. Each of the shafts 48, 51 and 53, has meansat the ends thereof to receive a claw bar or other suitable similar tool so that the operating mechanism can be actuated or releasedfrom either side of the car. The various shafts are suitably journaled in bearing brackets carried by upright angles 54 and plates 55.

At the opposlte end of the car, a second transversely extending shaft 56 is employed similarly located as the shaft 48 but. in this case extending only sli htly more than half way across the car. he shafts 48 and 56 carry sprocket gears over each of which passes a section of sprocket chain 57. The ends of the sprocket chains 57 are connected to long heavy links 58 and 59, one of said links-as for instance the link 58 being bifurcated so as to permit the passa e therethrough of the other link 59. ith this construction, it is evident that upon clockwise rotation of the shaft 48, the other shaft 56 will be simultaneously rotated but in a counter-clockwise direction. The links 58 and 59 and sprocket chains, etc., are accommodated ,in the triangular space provided beneath the adjacent sloping section of a side wall B and a vertically extending combined cover and strength car side wall plate 60. Triangular reinforcing steel pressings 61 are employed in this triangular space, the same bein secured to the car side plates 60 and the sFoping hop er side sections 25 and to the tops of t e side sills 17 and 20. Those pressings 61 on the side of the car where the links 58 and 59 are found,

are cut away as indicated at 62 to accommodate said links and chains, as indicated in fietween each of the shafts 48 and 56 and the corresponding extended ends 45 of the bars 14 is interposed a preferably selflocking flexible linkage constructed as follows. On each shaft is rigidly secured a hub 63 to which is pivoted a short link 64, the latter having pivoted thereto a heavy link 65 with oppositely and laterally extended arms 66. To each of the arms 66 is pivotally connected an elongated hook-shaped link 67, each link 67 at its lower end having an adjustable eye-bolt 68 secured thereto, the bolts being in turn connected by the links 69 to the extended ends 45 of the bars 4.4. The hook-shaped links 67 in combination with the link 65 seat upon the drum 63 in such a way as to eliminate torsion on the shaft when the parts are in position corresponding to the doors closed, in a well known manner. With the arrangement shown, it is evident that the doors may be opened and closed from either side of the car by manipulating the shaft 48. v

To properly sustain the end portions of the hopper, complete the body bolsters, and utilize the sides of the car as load carrying members, I employ the following con-- struction. Secured to the tops of the sills 17 and 20 and the flanges 12 of the casting A are plates 70, one on each side of the car,

' formed at these points on the car.

cally extending angle 73. The outer edges of the plates 72 are riveted to angles and plates H which extend upwardly and outwardly to points in line with the sides of the car and are then carried upwardly vertically to the top of the car, as shown in Figs. at and 6. At each end of the car and on each side of the center line thereof, a vertically extending longitudinal plate 75 is employed, the same being flanged at its lower edge and riveted to the corresponding horizontal plate 70. Each plate 75 is of substantially triangular form. the vertical edge thereof being united to the angle 73 and the inclined edge being united to the angle 40. Inclined braces 76 are employed extending from the striking plate to the hopper end wall C and united to corresponding angle irons 10 as shown in Fig. 2. Additional braces 190190 are preferably used. the same extending from the strikin plate to the upper edge of the end wall asi shown in Figs. 1, 2 and i; and also inclined braces 191191 as shown in Figs. 4c and 6.

From the immediately preceding description. it will be seen that the elements 7:2, 73, H and 75 constitute parts of the bolsters and serve to increase the width of the bolsters in their upper portions to the full width of the car. In this way, not only are the ends of the hopper properly supported but the loads from the bolsters are transmitted efliciently to the side walls of the car and said walls utilized as strength load-carrying members.

It will be noted from the drawings that I provide four ladders, one at each corner of the car. To carry out this construction, at each corner of the car I provide laterally extended supporting angles 71' and T8 and vertically extending angle iron stiles T9 and 80, .the latter going to the top of the car and the former uniting with a side stake or brace as indicated at 81. A. step 82 and rungs 83 are seemed to the stiles and it will be noted that the ladder thus formed is in a plane flush with the side wall proper of the car, thus avoiding any increased over-all width and providing ample room for the feet and hands of the brakeman in conformity with the safety laws. In the latter connection, it will he noted that the upper rung 84; of the ladder comes opposite the vertical portion of a side wall and in order that the necessary clearance may be obtained at this particular point, the side wall will have a depression 85 therein as indicated in Fig. 1. Suitable platforms 185 are provided at each end of the car extending the full width thereof and supported on brackets 86 secured to the corner stiles 80 and a transveisely extending angle iron 87 similarly supported. Grab irons are provided as indicated at 88. A hand brake is indicated conventionally at 89, it being noted modifications are contemplated that come.

within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Iclailn: 1. In a single hopper ore car, the combination withside and end hopper walls converging at their lower portions to define a single unobstructed discharge opening; of doors for closing said opening; mechanism for operating said doors; an under-frame, said underframe comprising main side sills, combined cast and fabricated bolsters and auxiliary side sills, said mai'n'side sills diverging from the end of the car across the ends of the bolsters and thence parallel to the center line of the car at the outer sides thereof, the auxiliary side sills extending between bolsters and paralleling adjacent parts of the main side sills and disposed within the latter, the fabricated portions of the bolsters extending upwardly to and secured to the end walls of the hopper for supporting the latter; and car ladders supported from the underframe, there being one ladder at each corner with the rungs thereof substantially flush with the side walls of the car.

,2. In a single hopper ore car, the combination with a hopper defined by side and end walls covergin at their lower edgesand defining a disc arge opening disposed centrally of the car, said opening being unobstructed; of doors for closing said opening; mechanism for operating said doors; and a load-substaining underframe comprising, bolsters of relatively short length, draft sills extendin outwardly beyond the bolsters, and side si ls, each extending from the outer end of a draft sill diagonally across the corresponding outer end of a bolster, to the outer side of the car at a point inwardly of the bolster, thence longitudinally of the car, and diagonally in; wardly across the corresponding end of the otlfiar bolster to the outer end of a draft sti 3. In a single hopper ore car, the combination with a hopper defined by side and end walls converging at their lower edges and defining a discharge opening disposed centrally of the car, said opening being unobstructed; of doors for closing said opening; mechanism for operating said doors; and a load sustaining underframe comprising, bolsters of relatively short length, draft sills extendin outwardly beyond the bolsters, and

fside si ls, each extending from the outer and of a draft sill diagonally across the corresponding outer end of a bolster to the outer side of the carat a point inwardly of the bolster, thence longitudinally of the car, and diagonally inwardly across the corresponding end of the other bolster to the outer end of a draft sill, and auxiliary side sills, each extendin from one bolster to the other and para leling the first named side sills, said auxiliary sills being dis posed inwardly of the first named side sills.

4. In a single hopper ore car, the combination with side and end hopper walls defining the hopper and a single discharge openin disposed centrally of the car; of doors or closing said opening; mechanism for operating said doors; and a shock sustaining underframe comprising, a casting at each end of the car, each castlng having diraft sills and a relatively short bolster formed integrally, and side sills, each extending from the end of a draft sill diagonall outward across the corresponding end of t e bolster section of the casting to the side of the car and thence longitudinally of the car, and cover plate secured to the tops of the castings and side sills.

5. In a single hopper ore car, the combination with side and end hopper walls converging at their lower ortions to define a single unobstructed ischarge opening; of doors for closing said opening; mechanism for operatin said doors; an underframe, said under rame comprising main side sills, bolsters and auxiliary side sills, said main side sills diverging from the end of the car across the ends of the bolsters and thence parallel to. the centerline of the car at the outer sides thereot} the auxiliary side sills extending between bolsters and paralleling adjacent parts of the main side sills and disposed within the latter; fabricatedmeans interposed between said underframe and the end walls of the hopper for supporting the latter; and car ladders supported from the underframe,

there being one ladder at each corner with the rungs thereof substantially flush with the. side walls of the car.

6. In a car of the class described having a single hopper, the hopper having side an end walls converging downwardly, doors for sides of the car.said sills being spaced apart at the last named portions a distance corresponding substantially to the maximum width of the car.

7. In a car of the character described, the combination with a single hopper having side and end walls converging downwardly: of doors for closing the hopper opening and mechanism for operating the doors; and an underframe construction comprising, sills and bolsters, the sills converging at their ends" and the bolsters being interposed between said sills at their lower ends and of a length less than the maximum width of the car, the upper portions of each bolster being extended upwardly and outwardly to a length corresponding substantially to the maximum width of the car and united to the hopper walls.

8. In a car having a hopper. the combination with doors for closing the opening of the hopper: of mechanism for operating said doom; and an underframe construction comprising. channel side sills spaced apart atthe center of the car a distance corresponding substantially to the. maximum width of the car and gradually converging from points inside of the bolsters to a minimum width at the extreme ends of the car. body bolsters. each included in a casting having the draft sills formed integrally therewith, and cover plates uniting said castings with the side sills.

9. In a hopper car, an underframe construction comprising. bolsters of lesser length than the maximum width of the car, draft sills rigid with respect to said bolsters and extending outwardly therefrom. and side sills, the central portions of said side sills extending parallel to the length of the car and in the plane of the side walls of the car, said side SlllS converging at their ends from points inwardly of the bolsters across the ends of the bolsters and to the ends of the draft sills. said side sills being secured to the bolsters and the draft sills.

10. In a car of the character described, an underframe construction comprising. main outer side sills, auxiliary side sills disposed inwardly of the main side sills and paralleling the latter, body bolsters of a lesser length than the maximum width of the car at the portions thereof in line with said side sills, and draft sills extended outwardly from the bolsters. said main side sills converging from points inwardly of the bolsters to the ends of the car and extending diagonallv'across the ends of said bolsters. the auxiliary side sills terminating at their ends on the inner sides of the bolsters.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of May, 19-20.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL,

Witnesses:

YILLIAAI F. BATHO, IREXE DRAKE. 

